Receptacle closure



Aug. 22, 1939. A. L. MEROLLE RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed Aug. 28, 1954 Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES mast RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Augustus L. Merolle, Brooklyn,

one-half-to Empire Metal Cap Co., Inc.,

N. Y., assignor of Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application -August 28, 1934, Serial No. 741,808

Z Claims.

'I'his invention relates to a receptacle closure of the two-fpiece type, that is a closure which consists of two cup shaped pieces of sheet material nested together one within the other, the inner or shell member being shaped to provide means for engaging a receptacle to hold the closure connected with the receptacle, and the outer or cap member being shaped to constitute an ornamental cover, protector. and reinforcement for the inner member.

An object of the present invention is to provide a closure of this type which shall be of attractive appearance, strong, substantial and practical for its purpose, and which may be easily and rapidly manufactured in quantities at small cost.

A further object is to provide simple and efilcient means effective to hold the shell and cap.I

members assembled and non-rotative with respect to each other.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the lnvention; and the scope of protection contem.- plated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing which is to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and shown in lvertical section, of a receptacle closure constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the normal shape of the flange portion of the outer or cap member.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, illustrating the shape of the flange portion of' the inner or shell member.

' Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged horizontal detail sectional views upon the planes of lines IV-IV and V--V respectively of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view similar to the sectional view appearing at the left in Fig. 1 but illustrating a further modified arrangement of the means for holding the two members of the closure assembled in non-rotative relation.

Fig. 'l is adetail elevational view of the structure appearing in Fig. 6 as seen from Within the closure.

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views illustrating the (cl. 21st-43) normal shape of the flange portion of the outer or cap member shown in Fig. 6, and Y Figs. 10 and 11 are detail views illustrating the normal shape of the flange portion of the inner or shell member shown in Fig. 6. y 5

In describing in detail the several structures illustrated in the drawing reference will be first specifically made to the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, and then to the other structures substantially in the order as illustrated, it being unl0 derstood that such features as are not specifically mentioned in the description of any of the modifications illustrated are substantially as illustrated and described with vrespect to the structure Figs. 1 to 5. 1o

In the structure Figs. 1 to 5, the reference character L indicates the inner or shell member, while the reference character G indicates the outer or cap member of the closure. The member L is made of thin sheet material, such as sheet metal. It is formed with a top wall portion l, for overlying the receptacle opening, and a marginal annular side wall or flange portion 2 for telescoping about the annular surface of the mouth of the receptacle. The wall portion 2 is suitably shaped, as for instance by having threads as 3 pressed therein, to releasably engage co-operative formations provided upon the outer annular surface of the receptacle, it being understood that the closure may be applied to or removed from the receptacle by relative rotation of the closure and receptacle in the usual way common to screw caps.

At its upper margin, above the threaded portion 3, the 'side wall 2 is formed with a series of lugs 4--4 spaced circumferentially thereof, said lugs projecting radially outwardly beyond the vertical plane of the outermost portions of the threads 3 as clearly illustrated.

At its lower margin, below the threaded portion 3, the side wall 2 is flared outwardly as at 5 and thence downwardly as at 6, the portion 6 being substantially in a common vertical plane with the outermost portions of the lugs 4.

At spaced points circumferentially of the closure the portions 5 and 6 are radially inset so as to form seats as 1-1 on the exterior surface of the shell member corresponding in form with the relatively depressed portions 8-8 between the lugs 4 4 at the upper margin of the wall, and said seats 11 and said depressions 8 8 are vertically aligned so that vertically below each of the depressions 8 there occurs one of the seats 1 co-operative therewith to constitute a vertical with respect to each other.

channel for receiving one of the vertical ribs 9 of the cap member G.

'I'he cap member G is of material generally similar to the shell member and has an annular side wall or flange 9B at the margin of its top wall 9b. The side wall 9a is vertically uted so as to form a series of the inwardly projecting ribs 9, one for engaging within each of the channels 7 8 of the shell member and a series of depressions IU-IILbetween said ribs, the ribs 9 tting into and against the walls of the channels 1 8, and the lugs 4 and the portions of the parts 5 and 6 which occur between the seats 'I of the shell member iltting into and against the walls of the depressions I of the cap member.

The simple act of sliding the shell member vertically into the cap member completes register of the ribs and depressions of the respective members, and no rotary movement of the shell and cap members relatively to each other is possible thereafter, the ribs or projections of the respective members constituting shoulders presented in opposition to each other in a rotative direction thus making inter-rotation impossible.

It may be here noted, as clearly shown in the illustration Fig. 1, that the ribs 9 of the cap member, where they extend vertically across the threaded intermediate portion of the shell member, may be positioned to engage against and thereby support the threaded portion of the shell member, thus re-inforcing said threaded portion against distortion during the use of the closure, and thus enabling the employment of a relatively thinner gauge of sheet material in the manufacture of the shell member.

The lower ends of the seats 'I- of the shell member, and of the ribs 9 of the cap member stands spaced above the lower edge II of the shell member so that the lower annular marginal portion as I2 of the cap member, below the lower ends of the ribs 9, is a smooth and unbroken annular surface in the same vertical plane with the wall portions of the cap member lying between the ribs 9.

'I'he side wall of the cap member is normally deeper than the side wall of the shell member and at the time when the shell member is moved into the cap member projects straight downwardly as indicated in Fig. 2. After the shell member has been moved into the cap member then the lower annular portion of the cap member which projects below the lower edge of the shell member, that is the portion below the line indicated I3 in Fig. 2, is bent inwardly and upward'ly within the shell member forming an internal flange I4 of the cap member within the lower edge of the shell member.

The flange I4 is preferably bent, as at I5-I5, to mate with and rest against the interior surface contour of the shell member resulting from the formation of the seats 1*?, and is made thereby to provide additional shoulder forming means inter-engaging with the shell member to hold the shell and cap members non-rotative The engagement of the portions Iii-I5 with the seat forming portions of the shell member also provides support and re-inforcement for said seat forming portions of the shell member notwithstanding strains which may be applied tending to produce inter-rotation of the shell and cap members.

In the assembled structure the lower end surface portions II-IB of the ribs 9-8 preferably rest against the upper surfaces of the bottom walls of the seats 'l-'I and thereby constitute lower annular portions of means to support and re-inforce the portion 8 of the shell member against appreciable upward movement beyond a given point, particularly during the operation of turning up the lower annular edge portion of the cap member in the formation of the flange I4.

The several elements provided at and adjacent to the lower margin of the finished closure as disclosed thus combine to constitute a very strong and rigid lower margin for the closure not likely to be distorted by any pressures which might ordinarily be applied against the closure in use or during transportation.

The modification illustrated in. Figs. 6 and 1l inclusive suggests that if desired the lower marginal annular portions of both the cap and shell members may be similarly outset and that each may be formed at its juncture between its' main and off-set portions with a corrugated surface portion as indicated 38 on the cap member and 39 on the shell member.

The corrugations 39 on the shell member are preferably disposed at an incline so that they provide a downwardly and inwardly facing inclined corrugated surface 40 inwardly of the shell member, and an upwardly and outwardly and similarly inclined corrugated surface 4I out- Wardly of the shell member.

The corrugations 38 on the cap member are similarly disposed at an incline so that they pro-J vide a downwardly and inwardly facing inclined corrugated surface 42 inwardly of the cap member in a position for closely mating to the corrugated surface 4I of the shell member when the' two members are nested together.

After the two members are nested then the the two members are rolled together inwardly to provide anl inturned hollow Wire edge as 43 to constitute the lower margin of the closure, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. In the formation of this wire edge the lower marginal portion of the cap member rolls with and about the lower marginal portion of the shell member and the roll portion ofA the' cap member continues upwardly within the closure and thence outwardly so that the extreme edge portion as 44 of the cap member engages against the inclined corrugated surface 40 of the' shell mem-ber and by reason of its forced engagement with said surface is caused itself to be similarly corrugated as indicated at 45 in Fig. 7, thereby eiiiciently holding the corrugations 38 and 39 in mating engagement to prevent interrotation of the shell and cap members and at the same time supplying added resistance to such inter-rotation by reason of the engagement of its own corrugations; 45 with the surface 40.

The corrugations 38 provide lugs and the corrugations 39 provide seats which receive the lugs, and the inclined disposition of said corrugations provides a wedge-acting engagement between the cap and shell members when said members are forced together, and a good interlock, and an efficient mutual support of each member by the other, is obtained.

In some instances the side wall of the cap member may be made without the corrugations 38, being either smooth or otherwise, in which case the interengaging corrugations 40 and 45 would be depended upon to lock the cap and shell members against inter-rotation.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as de ned in the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

1. A receptacle closure consisting of a shell member and a cap member, the cap member having a top wall portion and a marginal depending side wall, the shell member being formed separately from the capy member and being nested within the cap member and having a depending side wall disposed with its lower annular edge portion adjacent to the lower annular edge portion of the side wall of the cap member, the side wall of the shell member having a series of upwardly and outwardly opening seats therein adjacent to but spaced from its lower edge, the side wall of the cap member having a corresponding series of inwardly and downwardly projecting lugs engaging within each of said seats adapted to at once hold the two members against interrotation and to limit upward movement of the lower annular marginal portion of the side wall of the shell member within the cap member, and the lower marginal portion of the side. wall of the cap member being bent inwardly about the lower annular edge of the side wall of the shell member in engagement therewith so as to hold the two-members assembled with the lugs o! the capv members closely engaging within said seats.

2. A receptacle closure consisting of a shell member and a cap member, the cap member having a top side wall, the shell member being formed separately from the cap member and being nested within the cap member and having a depending side wall disposed with its lower annular edge portion adjacent tothe lower annular edge portion of the side wall of the cap member, the side wall of the shell member having a series of upwardly and outwardly opening seats therein adjacent to but spaced from its lower edge, the side wall of the cap member having a corresponding series of inwardly and downwardly projecting lugs engaging one within each of said seats adapted to at once hold the two members against interrotation and to limit upward movement of the lower annular marginal portion of the side wall of the shell member within the cap member, the lower marginal portion of the side wall of the cap member being rolled inwardly about the lower annular edge of the side wall of the shell member in engagement therewith so as to hold the two members assembled with the lugs of the cap member closely engaging within said seats, the shell member being further formed with a series of inwardly and downwardly projecting lugs adjacent to but spaced from its lower edge, and the inwardly rolled portion of the cap -member having its edge portion standing in forced engagement with said last mentioned lugs and bent into approximate conformity therewith by said forced engagement thereby to assist in holding the two members against inter-rotation.

AUGUSTUS L. MEROLLE.

wall portion and a marginal depending 

